Alabama: Bentley won’t hold special election for Sessions vacancy. Gov. Robert Bentley (R) announced yesterday that the person he names to fill the vacancy created by US Sen. Jeff Sessions’ (R) appointment as US Attorney General will not face a special election, but will run again, if he or she chooses, in the 2018 elections, reports al.com. Bentley said not having the special election would save the state $16 million ……. Arkansas: Cotton says Trump not good for Russia. Countering the widespread assumption that Vladimir Putin favored Donald Trump in the 2016 election, US Sen. Tom Cotton (R), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said at a hearing that Trump “proposed to increase our defense budget, to accelerate nuclear modernization, to accelerate ballistic missile defenses, and to expand and accelerate oil and gas production.” CIA Director James Clapper, the witness, agreed that enhancing “our military capabilities” would put the US in a stronger position vis-à-vis Russia, reports dailycaller.com ……. Kentucky: Right-to-work repeal advances. Despite union workers protests at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort, the state House Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment has passed House Bill 1, which would bar requiring non-union workers to pay union dues, even if they worked under a union contract, reports Lexington’s Herald-Leader. The bill has the support of Gov. Matt Bevin (R). In addition, the bill would repeal a law requiring “regional prevailing wages” for workers on public construction projects …….